As someone who “mained” Princess Zelda in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I was very intrigued when it was announced that Sheik and Zelda would now be separate characters in the newest iterations of the Smash franchise. I thought it was a fantastic creative decision, because now it would free up a slot for an extra move and enhance the characters from a game design perspective. As it turns out, this was not a creative decision at all, but a technical necessity.

“I believe that they have become more fresh now”

In the newest issue of Famitsu magazine, Smash director Masahiro Sakurai admitted that the change was due to the limitations of the 3DS. “It’s basically due to the 3DS’ limitations”, said Sakurai. “It was impossible to have both characters exist together [as one] on 3DS.”

While this wasn’t a creative decision, Sakurai did admit that it opened up new creative avenues for the characters. “However, reaching that limit can sometimes lead in good directions. Transforming characters had the drawback of ambiguous tactics and such, and I believe that they have become more fresh now.”

This definitely adds something fresh and new to one of the oldest and most beloved characters in the Smash franchise. Do you like the fact that Princess Zelda and Sheik are now separate entities in the newest Smash titles? Let us know what you think!